As I hoped I got my laser-cut parts at the end of last week. So over the weekend I started putting them together.

There is a certain amount of déjà Vu here so apologies for the repetition!

Here are the basic body parts with a few extra parts to help in construction.

The construction is very similar to page one of this thread. But it is different!

So I started off creating the recess' in the right side of the body by adding some MDF to the back of the panel. These recess' are to make it easier to turn the knobs on the scuba yoke I think. Once these were in place I glued the right side internal bulkheads in position.

Here's the step effect it will create once the final side body panel is on. I have to put a chamfer on the final panel before I can fit it.

Next I installed the front bulkhead along with the (front) end panel and (front) top panel.

The bolts in the front bulkhead will allow me to secure the emitter rods in position. I will cover this in more detail when I get there.

I had planned on shaping and drilling a block of 'material' to hold the emitter rods. But in the end I thought creating a laser cut structure would make it easier lining up the rods. Also I didn't have access to a pillar drill so laser cutting a structure made sense.

Laser Cut structure assembled with brass internal sleeves.

This photo show's the bottom rails of the body's internal structure which I machined up on a circular saw and finished off by hand. These create a shoulder for the internal steel structure to sit against.

So here is an overview of where I'm at. Showing parts in their relative positions.

Here's the block of Jelutong I've cut for the top vent. The etched brass is from EMA/Plastruct. I'm going to clad this in ABS sheet.

I got my initial metal order too. I didn't want to go too mad just in case things weren't working out. Here is the steel hexagonal bar with the scuba tank attached.

The folded metal is on the unit Parker slams on the table after Dallas’ death. I could achieve this by folding some sheet aluminum to fit my former.

This style is also on the one which came up for auction recently from the collection of John Gorman.

Then

‘B’ - seamless side

This style is mostly seen on the flamethrower in the ‘white background’ publicity stills of Sigourney Weaver and on the mess table in some of the stills from the DVD and Blu Ray. It looks like one piece with no added detail apart from the strap plate. I could achieve this by vacuum forming over my Jelutong former.

Finally

‘C’ – Hybrid

This look is really an extension of ‘B’. In some shots there is a subtle step. Like an extra strip has been added. You can see it here in this photo of Yaphet Kotto.

And you can see the remains of it here on the Propstore one.

But I think what's happened here is some wires have been glued onto the outside of the vent casing.
Probably the wires for the igniter. You can see them in this photo.

As these have been replaced/changed, due to the heat maybe, they have pulled off the material strip following the side shape of the vent. This could be one of the reasons they are missing on the Propstore one. That and general wear and tear.

So which would be the definitive version?

I may try making a version of each and see which looks best.

The next instalments will be about the emitter options and more on the build.

The 'A' version has a smooth transition into the end from the front ring. The five hole configuration in the front is connected by a cross (void).

Here’s a test I did a few years ago to illustrate how it looks.

Then there is

'B' the capped end.

The capped end ones are the ones that have been sold at auction.

Here they both are

The Propstore one has a definite capped end with five holes in the end.

The John Gorman auction one has a similar end but is smooth from the front ring. Like it’s all one piece (probably original!). And again this has the five holes.

So I'm under the impression that the cap on the Propstore is a replacement! Perhaps when the prop was decommissioned. Replaced in the style of the John Gorman one. Interestingly I think the Propstore one was originally owned by John Gorman. So that would make sense.

I wanted to ‘beef up’ the structure around the emitter rods because I didn't use a block like I had planned to.

So I sprayed the steel rods with some release agent then located them back into the brass sleeves in the laser cut structure. I then used epoxy glue to stick the mount in place.

Using some clay I temporarily plugged up any holes. Then using my steel cube with some packing tape applied I blocked up the opening. Again sealing with clay.

Next I poured fastcast into the voids to lock everything together.

When set I could remove the rods.

With this complete I moved back onto the side panels. The time had come to put the chamfer on the edges.

Setting up a makeshift router table I routed the chamfer.

I need to take a bit more off. I was barely on the follow wheel so I need to double side some extra panels on (of the same shape) and go round again. I want to leave a bit of a flat on the bottom edge. But as it stands now its a bit too much.

I'd bought some EMA Bends and tube to work out this side pipe.

After I'd mocked it up and fitted it I wasn't happy. I thought it looked a bit chunky. Here it is with the detail panel missing!

So I decided to go smaller thus making it thinner. I bought the next two sizes down but chose the middle size. Here's a comparison.

I think it does improve it visually!

So I had to do some cutting and filling to get the new size in position. Luckily I'd made this decision before I'd cut the holes in the ABS sheet. I could just back fill the laser cut holes with some fastcast.

This is how it stands now.

I'm pretty happy with it at this point. Close enough.

I will replace the ABS tube with turned urethane model board so I can get better detail . I will then mould it and cast it.

As for the pipe, are you going to cut it in half so it can be against the body of the flame thrower?

Joberg that's a good question. For a long time I thought it was half round or sunk half way into the side panel. But the more I look at the reference the more it looks like a full tube sitting on the surface. My original thought was to sink it in about 5mm. I still have this option and it would look pretty good. There are photo's which show the light 'wrapping' round the tube. This would suggest it's not half round.

I was thinking about the side pipe... It's a little weird to think they took the time to have it recessed into the body of the flamethrower... Why Bother ?

Now, if you consider it could have been a casted part glued to the side of the prop, because to make all the flamethrowers similar they had to use similar wiggets, or at least the more obvious of them... Then I would have personaly sanded the hidden part of the tube that was supposed to be glued to the body of the gun in order to improve its adherence... Sounds logical, don't you agree... and if you do so, then you'll probably end up with a tube that looks half recessed into the body of the gun !

Fred

PS : Please take another look at photo... the parallel lines and the spaces between them on the pipe (and the lower slim pipe as well), to me they don't look sharp enough, definitely the signature of a quickly made casting... Don't you agree ?

As Fred has touched on the subject of casting and even with a silicone mold, that pipe would've been a pain in the rear end when de-molding it.
So, to keep the mold fairly intact, they opted for a recess option that we see on the original(s).

Btw Colin, that pipe is looking way closer to the original design than before